1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automatic smoking machine for automatically smoking rolls of tobacco such as cigarettes and automatically analyzing compositions contained in the smoke. More specifically, the present invention relates to an automatic smoking machine, wherein rolls of tobacco or holders can be automatically attached to smoking mouths of the automatic smoking machine, efficiently without failure, so that an automatic operation can be performed continuously for a long period of time.
2. Background Art
When rolls of tobacco such as cigarettes are manufactured and sold, it is necessary to analyze the components contained in the smoke produced when the rolls of tobacco are smoked, and indicate the contents.
However, since tobacco leaves are a farm product, the quality thereof is not accurately constant. Therefore, when producing tobacco rolls, samples are extracted in a ratio of a predetermined number to the number of the products, the samples are smoked by a smoking machine, and the number of puffs of a roll and the burning speed are measured and the components contained in the smoke are analyzed. A smoking machine is used to automatically perform the analysis. The smoking machine has a number of smoking mouths. Holders are attached to the smoking mouths, and tobacco rolls such as cigarettes are attached to the holders; that is, the tobacco rolls (e.g., cigarettes) are attached to the machine via the holders. Top ends of the attached tobacco rolls are lighted by a heater or the like. The smoking machine inhales air through the tobacco rolls at a predetermined pattern in accordance with standard smoking conditions, thereby smoking the tobacco rolls. Cambridge filters are provided in the holders to collect the components, such as nicotine and tar. The other components in the smoke inhaled into the smoking machine through the Cambridge filters are analyzed by a gas analysis apparatus.
An automatic smoking machine has been developed, in which a series of jobs, such as attachment of the tobacco rolls to the smoking machine, lighting, extinguishment, and removal of cigarette stubs, are automatically performed. Such an automatic smoking machine comprises a smoking apparatus and a robot apparatus for automatically performing the above jobs. The robot apparatus has an arm of, for example, a jointed type. For example, a roll hand for picking up rolls, a lighter hand for lighting, and a cutter hand for extinguishment are sequentially attached to a top end portion of the arm, so that the above-mentioned series of jobs are performed.
In the smoking test as described above, a great number of tobacco rolls are smoke-tested in accordance with a predetermined program. Therefore, a great number of tobacco rolls and holders to be used in the smoking test are required in a day. As a method for efficiently supplying a great number of holders or tobacco rolls, for example, holders of the same number as that of the smoking mouths, and tobacco rolls to be attached to the holders (a plurality of rolls are attached to each holder) may be held in a holder tray and a roll tray, and the holders and tobacco rolls may be supplied to the automatic smoking machine in unit of a holder tray and a roll tray.
However, the automatic smoking machine has a robot apparatus for attachment of the holders and rolls, lighting and cutting, and while the robot apparatus is operating, a worker cannot enter the operation range. Therefore, since the operation of the robot apparatus must be stopped completely to supply the holder tray and roll tray, the job is stopped for a long period of time, resulting in reduction of the efficiency. Further, when a malfunction occurs in the series of automatic jobs, the operation of the robot apparatus must first be stopped completely, and thereafter the cause of the malfunction must be removed and the apparatus must be restored, which also results in reduction of the efficiency.
In general, since tobacco is a farm product, sizes or characteristics of tobacco rolls are not accurately constant. In addition, since tobacco rolls are soft and easily deformed, it is difficult to automatically handle them by a robot or the like, and various malfunctions may easily occur during the operation. Therefore, to perform the jobs continuously and efficiently without interrupting the jobs, it is necessary to increase the reliability in handling of the tobacco rolls and the other operations.